Unreachable
by Komillia
Summary: Aeris and Cloud are getting married... or are they? Came from a very crazy idea


Unreachable 

Unreachable 
    
    
    Disclaimer: I don't own Cloud, Aeris, the other characters or FF7. I'm just
    writing this for fun.
    Notes: I don't know if I should classify this as a Cloud/Aeris fic. I guess
    that I'm not really sure who should get Cloud. This is the second FF7 fanfic
    I've written, so please bear with me. This fanfic is based on a crazy idea I
    got while I was looking for Cloud/Aeris fanfics.
    -Komillia komillia@hotmail.com-
    
    
    * * *
    
    
    _I'm getting married... it's hard to believe._
    Aeris lowered her gaze, looking at the white silk dress she was wearing. A
    wedding dress. It was the most beautiful dress she had ever wore, it was too
    bad that she didn't felt as happy as she should have. She looked at herself
    in the mirror. Her hair was nicely done and her makeup drew out the beautiful
    color in her eyes. Tifa had volunteered to do her hair and makeup. It was her
    duty as the bride's maid, she had said.
    _She's been so nice to me,_ Aeris thought and turned away from
    the mirror. _I know she loves Cloud... Yet she always puts on a happy face
    whenever Cloud and I are near. It must be so hard for her..._
    The door suddenly opened. Aeris turned around to see Yuffie rushing in, hands
    full of different types of materia. She was dressed in a light blue dress
    and with the flowers in her hair, she looked more graceful and adult than
    she usually did. However, even with different clothes Yuffie would still be
    Yuffie.
    "Quick!" Yuffie called and slammed the door after herself. "I took
    Barret's and Cid's materia while they were busy with Cloud! Help me hide
    them!"
    Aeris giggled softly and watched while Yuffie stuffed the materia inside a
    bag and then hid the bag under a couch. When it was done, she smiled happily
    and proudly towards the bride.
    "There!" she exclaimed and laughed evilly. "They'll never notice
    anything 'til I'm gone! Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk!"
    Then Yuffie rushed back towards the door. Before she left, she looked at
    Aeris over her shoulder.
    "It's going to start soon," Yuffie reminded. "You better get come
    now."
    Aeris nodded, smiling vaguely towards Yuffie. "You go ahead," she told. "I'll
    be down in a minute or two."
    Yuffie smiled in return and then unexpectedly gave Aeris a hug. Aeris looked
    surprised but didn't mind the sign of affection from the younger girl.
    "It's so nice to have you back," Yuffie said. "For a while... when
    you were gone, things seemed to be going down all the time. And Cloud... he
    was so depressed. Now that you're back, everyone's happy again."
    Yuffie pulled away and then began to move towards the door. She opened it and
    was about to leave. Aeris didn't know what to say at first, but she called
    Yuffie's name.
    "Yuffie?"
    "Yeah?"
    Aeris tried to keep the smile on her lips when she spoke. "Yuffie... Try to
    find your real happiness. You shouldn't need materia to be happy with your
    life."
    Yuffie smiled again, then left and closed the door after herself. Aeris stood
    alone in the room once again. She turned towards the window and looked
    through it. The few guests that had been invited had already arrived.
    Everyone was probably taking their seats or were waiting for the ceremony to
    start.
    Why was she feeling so down? This was supposed to be the happiest
    day of her life. She was united with her friends and family, she was about to
    marry Cloud in a matter of minutes. Why was she getting the feeling that she
    wasn't supposed to be there? Why did she feel like she wouldn't fit in with
    the small crowd that was waiting for her?
    
    
    * * *
    
    
    Tifa sighed and looked at the clock for the tenth time. She found a chair
    where she sat down to wait impatiently. She wasn't the only one who was
    impatient. The guests in the chapel kept looking over their shoulders to see
    if the bride was coming. Cloud, who stood at the end of the chapel, was
    beginning to look worried. Tifa suddenly caught sight on Yuffie, who was
    suspiciously sneaking around the coat room to see if someone had left any
    materia. Tifa got up and walked over to Yuffie.
    "Where is she?" she demanded. "The ceremony should have started five
    minutes ago!"
    "She's upstairs," Yuffie answered. "I'm not worried, she said that
    she would be down soon."
    "You said that too ten minutes ago," Tifa told. She sighed again
    in frustration. That Cloud and Aeris would married was bad enough... now this
    happened. If Aeris wasn't Tifa's friend then she would have been overjoyed
    that Aeris hadn't showed up yet. But no matter what Tifa felt for Cloud,
    Aeris was her friend and she was Aeris' bridesmaid.
    "I'll go up and talk to her," Tifa decided. "You go and entertain
    the guests while I'm gone."
    Tifa left quickly before Yuffie could have the time to protest. Yuffie
    watched Tifa leave in disbelief.
    "What? Me?"
    
    
    * * *
    
    
    Tifa knocked softly on the door. "Aeris? It's me, Tifa." She waited for an
    answer but she was only met by silence. "Aeris? Are you there?"
    Tifa carefully opened the door by herself and slowly entered the room. She
    found Aeris standing by the window. Since Aeris stood facing the window, Tifa
    couldn't see her face. But she could hear quiet sobs coming from Aeris.
    "Aeris?" Tifa said again with a worried look on her face. She closed
    the door after herself and quickly grabbed a box with tissues on her way to
    Aeris. "What's wrong? Why are you crying?"
    She handed Aeris a tissue and waited for an answer. Aeris dried her tears
    first and then answered Tifa's question.
    "I can't go through with this, Tifa..." she began, facing the floor
    instead of her friend. "I can't..."
    "Why?" Tifa asked, shocked at what Aeris had just said. As much as it
    pained her to say it, she had to. "You're getting married to Cloud, remember?
    He loves you and you love him."
    Aeris brought the tissue up to her face again. "That's not the problem," she
    answered. "I love him more than anything... but I can't marry him... I can't
    stay here."
    Tifa didn't know what to say. Aeris loved Cloud. Cloud loved Aeris. Where was
    the problem?! As far as Tifa knew, there were no difficulties between the
    couple. What could cause Aeris to decide not to marry Cloud?
    "What happened?" Tifa asked. Aeris shook her head.
    "I can't tell..." she whispered. "I can't even explain it..."
    Again, Tifa became speechless. How was she supposed to handle this situation?
    It didn't seem like the normal kind of situation when the bride got cold
    feet. But if Aeris wouldn't marry Cloud, then that would mean he would be
    available again. If Aeris didn't want to tell what was wrong, then it would
    be so easy for her to accept it and let Aeris just...
    Tifa forced the thought of her mind. No, not now. It wouldn't be fair
    to Cloud if she didn't try to find what was wrong with Aeris. Even if it
    meant sacrificing her own happiness.
    "Please... give this letter to Cloud."
    Aeris suddenly reached out a piece of paper to Tifa, who stared at it with
    a puzzled look. Tifa turned her gaze to Aeris, whos eyes were still full with
    tears and sadness.
    "Just give it too him," Aeris said. "Tell him... that I will always
    love him... and that I'm sorry."
    
    
    * * *
    
    
    When Tifa came walking down the aisle, many thought that it was the bride
    who was finally coming. When they discovered that it was just the bridesmaid
    they sighed and shifted uncomfortably at their seats. Tifa just smiled and
    looked really apologetic. She finally made her way to the altar where Cloud
    was standing. He looked more worried than anyone else and looked like he was
    about to have a nervous breakdown if Aeris didn't come down soon.
    "Where is she?" Cloud demanded to know as soon as Tifa approached
    him. "Is something wrong?"
    Tifa didn't want to give him the letter. She knew what Aeris had written and
    she knew that it was going to break Cloud's heart. But she had promised Aeris
    to give it too him. Tifa swiftly put the letter in Cloud's sweaty palms.
    "She told me to give you this," she explained rather quickly. Not
    that Cloud was listening. By the time Tifa had put the letter in his hands,
    he could guess who it was from. Cloud quickly unfolded the letter and read
    through it. He thought that he was imagining the words that were written on
    the letter.
    _Dear Cloud
    I'm sorry. I can't marry you. Please don't misunderstand, I love you more
    than life itself.
    I watched you after my death. I wanted to comfort you every time you suffered
    but I couldn't. And now that I'm here... There is nothing else I would like
    to do more than to be with you. But I can't. I can't explain why and I doubt
    that there is a real explanation for this.
    Please forgive me.
    Aeris_
    "Cloud?"
    Cloud was still staring at the letter and didn't seem to react when Tifa
    waved his hand in front of his face. He stared at it for a long time, not
    wanting the words on the letter to be true. This couldn't be true. Aeris
    wouldn't leave him. They had gone through so much together, done so many
    things in order to be together. This wasn't true. She wouldn't leave him. She
    couldn't.
    "No way..." he whispered softly, more to himself than to anyone else.
    Tifa immediately regretted delivering the letter.
    "Cloud..." she began but before she could say anything else he was
    already running out from the chapel. The guests turned around and watched
    him leaving, wondering what was going on. As much as Tifa wanted to follow
    him, she knew that he needed to face this on his own.
    Cloud ran up the stairs as fast as he could to reach the room where
    Aeris was. He prayed that she was still there, that he could talk her out
    of leaving him. He couldn't stand losing her again, not after everything that
    had happened. Finally, he reached the room where she had been, only to find
    the door half open.
    Cloud pushed the door open entirely and gazed through the room. The
    window was open and a cold gust of wind blew through the room. Cloud entered
    the room slowly, hoping to find Aeris somewhere. But she was gone. The
    wedding dress hung over the back of a chair along with the veil. The room
    seemed to be in perfect order, like Aeris hadn't been there at all. If it
    wasn't for the shiny object lying on the table.
    With sad eyes Cloud made his way to the table and picked up the
    object. It was the engagement ring he had given to her. It was pretty plain
    with a rather small diamond. But Aeris had loved it when he had given it to
    her.
    He remembered what she had said. She had promised to always wear it,
    no matter what. But thinking about that memory only upset Cloud even more.
    Why had Aeris disappeared while the ring was left here?
    Somehow, he knew about his friends gathering at the door even though
    he didn't see them. Tifa, Cid, Barret, Vincent, Yuffie, Red XIII and Cait
    Sith. They all stood there, worrying about him. Cloud turned to them, holding
    the ring tightly in his hands.
    "I'll find her," he told them. "I'll find her, just like I have
    before."
    Yes, he would find her. Cloud knew that one day he would. And when he did
    find her, he would put the ring back on her finger and never let her go
    again.
    
    
    * * *
    
    
    Well, that was short... wasn't it?
    


End file.
